Slowly down the canal
Early in the morning, while traveling along the canals of the Long Xuyen Quadrangle, one can easily spot cargo boats slowly gliding through the water. On one of these boats, along the Ong Kiet canal, stretching from Vinh Gia commune all the way to Binh Giang commune, Mr. and Mrs. Tran Van Tung, residents of Binh Giang commune, frequently dock to sell their goods. After traveling a few dozen meters, Mr. Tung honks his lollipop horn, producing a few resounding "toot-toot" sounds. This horn seems to be a familiar sound to the people in this remote area. Whenever they hear the horn, people come to the canal bank, waving and calling out to buy their goods.
The cargo boat belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Tran Van Tung, residents of Binh Giang commune. Photo: THANH CHINH
Often, the noise of passing boats drowns out the sound of the horn, and if a delivery boat passes by, the villagers are left without food for their families. Therefore, to ensure people can buy necessities in time, Mr. Tung steers his boat slowly along the canal. Having relied on his boat for a living for over 20 years, navigating countless deserted canals, Mr. Tung knows which households need to buy goods daily. Therefore, when approaching familiar houses, Mr. Tung always honks his horn loudly to urge people to hurry to the canal bank to buy supplies.
Mr. Tung's cargo boat carries all sorts of goods: onions, chives, vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish. Locals jokingly call it a mobile market in this remote area. Thanks to this, people in rural areas far from the market find it very convenient to buy groceries for their family meals. Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu Thu (61 years old), whose house is located along the Ong Kiet canal in Binh Giang commune, expressed: "This area is remote and far from the market. Thanks to this cargo boat, many families here don't have to travel far to buy things. Just stepping down to the canal bank, you can find goods right away, even fresh fish, meat, and shrimp... just like at the market."
Mr. Dao Van Kha, a rice farmer in Binh Giang commune, said that when people wake up in the morning and hear the horn, they know that a cargo boat has arrived. They can buy instant noodles, vegetables, meat, and fish. “In this area, if you want to have breakfast, you have to go all the way to the market far away, so we usually buy instant noodles to cook with a few shrimp bought from the cargo boats. It’s very convenient. There are about three cargo boats serving daily necessities in this acidic soil area, so people don’t worry about food shortages,” Mr. Kha explained.
Hard work pays off.
Every day, Mr. Tung and his wife wake up at dawn, take their boat to the market to stock up on goods. As soon as the sun rises, Mr. Tung continues his journey along the canals to sell his wares to the locals. Thanks to this, his family has a stable income. "It's hard work, young man! If you work hard transporting goods to remote areas to sell to the people, you'll make a decent profit. There are so many markets and general stores in the lowlands, we can't compete. After giving up our informal lending scheme, my wife and I earn over 300,000 dong a day, enough to support our family," Mr. Tung confided.
For a long time, the Hau River has been a source of livelihood for countless people who make their living by traveling up and down the river, engaging in various trades, including selling food and drinks. One day, while taking a small boat tour of the floating villages at the Chau Doc river junction, I unexpectedly came across a small boat swaying on the river, stopping to offer food and drinks to tourists. On the boat, Ms. Nguyen Thi Linh (52 years old), residing in Vinh Hau commune, was selling fish noodle soup and various soft drinks. Although the space on the boat was cramped, the locals here cooked very delicious fish noodle soup. Each bowl of fish noodle soup cost only 20,000 VND, but it was flavorful and memorable for tourists. "Besides selling fish noodle soup, I also sell iced tea with sugar, coffee, soft drinks... Every morning I row across the floating villages and larger boats, selling dozens of bowls of fish noodle soup and soft drinks, pocketing over 200,000 VND after deducting expenses," Ms. Linh shared.
At Long Xuyen floating market, tourists can easily spot Ms. Nguyen Kieu Thu (57 years old) and her husband, residents of Long Xuyen ward, rowing a small boat alongside larger boats, inviting people to have breakfast. Ms. Thu's boat is loaded with all sorts of things, just like food stalls on land. "I sell plain rice noodles, instant noodles, and rice vermicelli... The prices are affordable. Young man visiting the floating market, please support me with a bowl of noodles to start the morning..." Ms. Thu enthusiastically invites.
To date, she has made a living selling vermicelli on the Hau River for over 40 years. In the past, although life was difficult, her business was prosperous because boats and canoes docked frequently at this section of the river. “Every morning, I sold several hundred bowls of vermicelli. Back then, each bowl cost 2,000-3,000 dong, but I earned hundreds of thousands of dong a day. Even now, thanks to selling food on the river, I've saved enough to buy a boat and install an outboard motor for safe navigation,” Ms. Thu said.
Looking from afar, we spotted Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong (55 years old), a resident of Long Xuyen ward, starting her diesel engine to push her boat loaded with vegetables and fruits alongside a larger boat in the early morning. Ms. Hong said she has been making a living selling goods on the river for over 25 years. Now, with the numerous barges carrying sand and materials on the river, and their need for essential goods, Ms. Hong's business is booming. After exchanging a few words with us, Ms. Hong quickly started her engine and sped alongside the barge to sell her goods to the boat owner.
Traditionally, cargo boats have been considered a means of livelihood for small traders on the waterways. Thanks to this profession, they have a stable income to support their families.
THANH CHINH
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/ghe-hang-xuoi-nguoc-a477928.html
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